The motivation of the unmotivated : an insight into secondary students' disaffection with schooling

Abstract

Foreign and local research both show that student disaffection is a phenomenon which cannot be dismissed due to its extent and to the serious implications to which it leads. This data reveals that Area Secondary schools are more likely to have high rates of student disaffection than more competitive schools. This case-study seeks to gain some insight into the reasons which prompt Area Secondary girls to be disaffected with schooling. First a discussion is made on the literature available about the topic. Then a detailed account of the school and the students on which the study was conducted is given prior to describing how student disaffection is expressed and its main influences. This is followed by a pertinent argument to try and detect the main sources of these negative attitudes towards schooling by viewing the students' relations with influential persons and their experience in primary and secondary schools. The final chapter aims to interpret the main issues emerging from the data in an analytical manner and an attempt at suggestions is made. This study concludes that in order to improve the students' experience of schooling, there should be a team effort which includes the school, parents, the student and other concerned persons. However, more studies need to be created to investigate pupils' perceptions of schooling as these have considerable potential for providing useful insights into educational processes.